Loose leaf binder metal



May 14, 1935. R. M. WATSON 2,001,170

LOOSE LEAF BINDER METAL Filed Deb. 15, 1935 ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 14, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT, OF

oose LEAF BINDER METAL "Richard Watson, Detroit, Application December 15, 1933, Serial No. 702,498, 10 claims. (01.129-24) invention relates to a loose leaf binder metaland has to do particularly with a structure embodies openable rings or eyes for hold ing a number of perforated sheetsof paper.

One, object of the invention is the provision of such a metal wherein one or more rings may be locked and securely held in closed position, and in which they cannot be opened without destroying or breaking. a certainportionpf the metal, sothat if the rings have been opened the same-maybe immediately detected. In carrying outthis object of the invention it is the further to provide such an arrangement of simple andcheap construction. Thus the invention provides a metal :which affords a desirable arrangement which cannot betta mpered with without showing evidence: thereof, while at the same time expensive erelaborate arrangements are avoided.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a metal structure wherein ringsof relatively light gauge wire maybe held securely closed and cannot be opened byspringing the, wire rings. A modified arrangement of the invention makes provision for a structure in which the rings may be securely held closed but wherein they may be unlocked readily to be opened theevent such a metal is desired,

In this art, from a practical standpointthe structure of alooseleaf binder which includes the rings and the base therefor and other associated parts, is termed a metalZand this term is so used here. e f

lin the drawing: f A Fig. 1 is a perspective viewof a structure embodying theinvention. I i

Fig; 2 is a perspective viewof a portion thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional view enlarged, taken substantially on line 3- -3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an end view showing how themetal maybe associated with the binder.

Fig. 5 isa view partlyin' plan and partly in section showing amodified form of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a view partly plan and partly in section showing the operation of the modified form.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on The structure, or in other words, the device termed a metal, may comprise a stripof sheet metal having abody portion I apertured asat 2 for attachment to a cover or folder. One'edge of the strip 1, w i h may betermed the. base, is rolled or formed into a hollow head 3 having notches l, A length of wire may have its body portion 5 situated-in the bead so that; it may rock therein audits ends may be fashioned. into rings 6. Where more than two rings are desired one or more other rings as at '1 may be secured to the body portion of the wire, as indicated at 8. The rings extend. out through the notches 4. i

The opposite side of the base. isprovided with 5 a bead l0 notched as. at H for receiving the ends of the rings. It-will at once he understood how the rings may be opened up by swingingthem on theaxis of the portion 5, as illustrated. by the dotted lines ofFig. 2. Advantageously, the rings 10 are not on a true circle but have relatively straight end portions, as'illustrated at 12. The

end of each ring may be provided with a notch as bead l llar idarranged to telescope into the bead 3,

as illustrated, to thus form a headedlend for limiting the movement into the bead. The body of the locking wire III has a length greater than that of the base so that when it is insertedv in place its forward end protrudes from the base, as shown in Fig. 2. The locking wire is notchedas at 2| and after itis positioned it may be bent to position the part 2|], as shown in Fig. '1, the bending action taking place-substantially at the weakened notch portion, ,thuslocking' the wire in position. Whenthepart l8'telescopes into the bead 3the notch 2| is positioned on the inside of the bend."-

The rings are held closed bythe locking wire, the same fitting. into the notches as illustrated in Fig. 3. However, the rings of conventional size are of relatively small gauge wire and as such may be sprung open. In other words, in the absence of other. means they could be snapped past the locking rod I8 and opened and then could be again closed without damage. However, it will be noted, by reference ,to Fig. 3, that the wall I 5 lies very close to the ends of the rings opposite the locking wire. If. any attempt is made to spring portion [2 at the free ends of the rings extend into the bead I0 at anangle so that the extreme ends thereof lie well underthe looking wire, thus providing a good looking action and requiring considerable springing of the metal of the rings if they are forced over the locking wire.

It will be appreciated that the rings cannot be opened so long as the locking wire is in place without substantially permanently mutilating the device. Accordingly, the locking wire must needs be removed to open the rings, and to accomplish this the end 20 must be bent outwardly into its straight position, as illustrated in Fig. 2, but due to the weakened notch portion the part 20 may break oif if it is so bent, and especially will it break when it is again bent to the Fig. l position. Accordingly, if the rings have been opened the fact may be readily ascertai' ed by'the absence of the locking part 20. 1

Fig. 4 illustrates how themetal may be mounted in a binder having covers and a back 26, to which the base of the metal is attached.

, A modified form of the invention is shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, where the parts previously described have the same reference numerals applied thereto. This form, however, while providing for the effective holding of the rings in closed position, does not embody the nontamperable locking arrangement. The wire l6 has a length advantageously substantially equal to the length of the base member, and it is provided with notches 21, one for each ring. The wire may be shifted to a position as illustrated in Fig. 6, so that the several notches are lined up with the rings, as further illustrated in Fig. '7. The rings may now be opened. This structure may be used where it is desirable to have the rings effectively held closed and yet Where it is desirable to open them from time to time. In this form' the free ends of the rings may be required-to be cut off at their extreme end as'as 28 so that they will clear the portion of the locking wire adjacent the notch when they are swung to and from open and closed position.

I claim:

1. A loose leaf binder metal comprising a base, ring members pivoted along one edge of the base, a bead along the opposite edge of the base having apertures for receiving the free ends of the ring members, the free ends of the ring members each having anotchtherein, a locking rod insertable in the head for fitting in the notches-to hold the ring members closed, said locking rod having an end portion for. substantially abutting one end of the base and having a notch therein substantially at the opposite end of the base when the said end portion substantially abuts the base at which notch the rod is arranged to be bent to position one end thereof 'angularly as regards the bead to retain the locking rod positioned in the bead and held. against any substantial lengthwise movement.

2. A loose leaf binder metal comprising a base, ring members pivoted. along one edge of the base, a bead along the opposite edge of the base having apertures for receiving the free ends of the ring members, the free ends of the ring members each having a notch therein, a locking rod insertable by lengthwise movement in the bead for fitting in the notchesto hold the ring members closed and having a'headed portion for substantial abutment against one end of the base, the locking rod having a notch therein positioned substantially at the opposite end of the base when the rod is positioned in the bead with the headed portion in substantial abutment with one end of the base with the end of the rod projecting from the base,the rod being adapted to be bent substantially at the notch to position said end transversely of the base for holding the locking rod in ring locking position.

3. A loose leaf binder metal comprising a base, ring members pivoted along one edge of the base, a bead along the opposite edge of the base having apertures for receiving the free ends of the ring members, the free ends of the ring members each having a notch therein, a locking rod insertable by lengthwise movement in the bead for fitting in the notches to hold the ring members closed and having a headed portion for substantial abutment against one end of the base, the locking rod having a notch therein positioned substantially at the opposite end of the base when the rod is positioned in the bead and with the headed portion substantially abutting the one end of the base with the end of the rod projecting from the base, the rod being adapted to be bent substantially at the notch to position said end transversely of the base for holding the locking rod in ring locking position, the material of the locking rod being weakened by such bending at the notch whereby the same may break upon rebending of the rod to remove the looking rod from the bead and effect release of the ring members.

4. In a loose leaf binder metal, a base having a bead with an aperture therein, a pivoted ring member having a free end arranged to be received in the aperture when the ring is closed said free end of the ring member having a notch positioned within the bead when the ring member is closed, a locking rod with a head portion insertable endwise into the bead and notch for holding the ring closed, the locking rod having a notch therein adjacent one end and in substantial alignment with one end of the base when the head portion substantially abuts the opposite end of the base and said end being adapted to be bent substantially at the notch to position the same substantially transverse of the base to hold the locking rod in position, said locking rod being apt to be broken upon rebending of the same to eifect endwise movement of the locking rod, whereby opening of the ring may be detected.

5. A loose leaf binder metal comprising a base member, ring members pivoted along one edge of the base member, the base member having a bead at its opposite edge, said bead having apertures for receiving the free ends of the ring members, the outer wall of thebead adjacent the apertures being left intact, the inner portions of the ends of the ring members each having a notch, a locking rod arranged to be posiand positioned in the notches to hold thering a locking rod insertable endwise into the bead and notch for holding the ring member closed, the wall of the bead on the opposite side of the end of the ring member from thelocking rod being positioned adjacent the end of the ring member and arranged to be engaged thereby to past the rod.

7. A loose leaf binder metal comprising a sheet metal, base having a bead along one edge, a plurality of openable ring members pivotally mounted in said bead, a secondbead along the opposite edge of the base member and having apertures therein for receiving the free ends of the ring members, said ring members having curved upper portions and substantially straight runs extending from the upper curved portions to the pivotal mounting and to the free ends with said straight runs converging toward each other away from the curvedportions of the rings and having a diameter measured in a plane parallel to the base which is greater than the width of the base, a locking rod insertable endwise into the second bead, each ring member adjacent its free end having a notch therein arranged to fit around the locking red, the angular converging disposition of the straight runs of each ring resulting in that their free ends fit well under the locking rod whereby the rings are held securely closed.

8. A loose leaf binder metal comprising a sheet metal base having a bead along one edge, a plurality of openable ring members pivotally mounted in said bead, a second-bead along the opposite edge of the base member and having apertures-therein for receiving the free ends of the ring members, said ring members having curved upper portions and substantially straight runs extending from the upper curved portions to the pivotal mounting and to the free ends with said straight runs converging toward each other away from the curved portions or the rings, a locking rod insertable endwise into the second bead, each ring member adjacent its free end having a notch therein arrangedto fit aroundthe locking red, the angular and converging disposition of the straight runs of each ring resulting in that their free ends fit well under the locking rod whereby the rings are held securely closed, one wall of the secondnamed bead being positioned closely adjacent the free ends of the ring members to prevent the ring members from being sprung past the rod by engagement of the free ends with said wall.

9. In a loose leaf binder metal, a base member, openable rings pivoted along one edge of the base member, the opposite edge of the base member having a bead with apertures therein for receiving the free ends of the ring members, each ringmember near its free end having a notch,

a locking rod 'insertableby endwise movement into the bead and arranged to fit inthe notches to hold the rings closed, one wall of the bead being positioned closely adjacent to the free ends of the ring members and on the opposite side thereof from the locking rod to hold the ring members from being sprung past the locking rod by engagement of the free ends with said wall, the locking rod having notches therein, one for each ring, arranged to be brought into alignment with the free ends of the ring members by endwise movement of the locking rod for opening of the rings.

10. In a loose leaf binder metal, a base member, openable rings pivoted. along one edge of the base member, the opposite edge of the base member having a bead with apertures therein for receiving the free ends of the ring members, each ring member near its free end having a notch, a locking rod insertable by end wise movement into the bead and arranged to fit in the notches to hold the rings closed, one wall of the bead being positioned closely adjacent to the free ends of the ring members and on the opposite side thereof from the locking rod to hold the ring members from being sprung past the locking rod by engagement of the free ends with said wall, the locking rod having notches therein, one for each ring, arranged to be brought into alignment with the free ends of the ring members by endwise movement of the locking rod for opening of the rings, said ring members having each an upper curved portion and substantially straight runs extending from the upper curved portion to the pivotal mounting and to'the free endwith said straightruns converging toward each other away from the curved portion. 

